Fats

Fats are used in almost all bakery products. Fats are available in many forms. All fats are shortening agents.

Butter:A fat processed from milk. It has a low melting point. The yellow color of butter depends on the feed of the cow and varies with seasonal changes. Butter contains 80-84% fats and 16-20% moisture. It is normally available in salted and unsalted form.

Ghee:Also called clarified butter; it is a fat processed from butter. It contains at least 99.6% fats. It is used to enhance flavor in traditional Indian dishes. However not commonly used in baking.

Oil:Oils are fat extracts from nuts, seeds and fruits such as soybean, sesame, sunflower and peanut. It is used in some muffin, bread and cake recipes and as a cooking medium for frying. If oil is used in place of a solid fat for some cake recipes, the texture will be heavier unless the sugar and egg are increased.

Vanaspati:A semi-solid form of hydrogenated vegetable oil with a minimum of 97% fat. It can substitute butter in baking 4 to 5 cup of vanaspati equals one cup of butter.

Margarine: A plastic hydrogenated fat used for cakes and pastry, commonly called bakery fats.